Whose Right Whose Responsibility

Administrative authorities were sensitive enough to pronounce right to information as a basic human right of every Indian citizen. In spite of this, the vulnerable remain unaware of the benefits the government has set apart for them. This gap between pronouncing information as a right and seeing a difference in people's lives as a result of information must be filled by holding someone responsible for making that information reach these people. Can NGOs do this? or should a special department be set up for monitoring coverage of information and reporting lapses with legal consequences. This would require investment. Or should the employer be held responsible for divulging all the information that the employee must know, the benefits, the rules and regulations, the nature of partnership between the government, employer and employee to provide the benefits that the government intends to provide. 

This was in context with the Employees State Insurance Scheme which is a partnership between the government, the employer and the employee to provide healthcare insurance. In the survey that I am involved with, I have realized that people are not allowed to ask questions about the extent of sharing that should happen between the three stakeholders. If they try, their job is indirectly at risk. This survey is being done among migrant laborers who are mostly factory laborers. 

Our debate on poverty-line seems to be meaningless if we do not take into consideration the factors responsible for the failure of benefits reaching a large section of the poor as defined by the previous cut-off for Poverty Line.